mushroom vodka extraction question

[lindsay]

went looking today for a bottle of 100 proof vodka (50% alcohol), to do a mushroom extraction.

look everywhere and all I could find was 80 proof (40%).

so I have some questions. Will 80 proof work at all.

or could I freeze the vodka and then separate the alcohol from the frozen water.

[TheExplorer]

If you are evaporating down to an extract then there are plenty of things you can use. If you are looking to make a tincture then 40% will usually do the job. You can get other strong spirits from Dan Murphy's, such as 95% Spiritus, but most are really expensive. Another option is to distill your own spirits or find someone who does.

Oh and the water in vodka won't freeze in a standard fridge (a lot of people keep theirs in the freezer) due to freezing point depression.

[Foo]

It really depends on what your trying to extract.

If your talking about what i think you are, i recommend the shroomery as more appropriate place for this thread.

If ive assumed wrong, i apologize.

Edited August 5, 2014 by Foo

[lindsay]

thanks TheExplorer, a reishi duel extraction is what I am looking to do.

thanks Foo for the idea

[ace1928]

You could always make a crude dried/resinous extract from the reishi. Could do an isopropyl or acetone pull to get out a heap of the goods and then do a boiled water "tea" that you can let dry. Add the two dried/resin like materials together and then redissolve them in some glycerin or the 40% alcohol. May make it easier to get a more accurate idea as to dosage of the actives.

Best of luck

[waterboy 2.0]

There is also Bacardi 151° (75.5%acl) as well

Edited August 5, 2014 by waterboy

[Berengar]

40% vodka will do fine in extracting the actives from reishi, but if youre doing a double extract, youll have to be carefull about final water to alcohol ratio. If there is too little alcohol in the tincture, it wont be able to keep very long at room temperature.

[ace1928]

40% vodka will do fine in extracting the actives from reishi, but if youre doing a double extract, youll have to be carefull about final water to alcohol ratio. If there is too little alcohol in the tincture, it wont be able to keep very long at room temperature.

You could potentially acidify the solution or make it into a more oil based tincture if it had a lower alcohol content to inhibit bacterial growth. Perhaps add some kind of emulsifying agent and you effectively have a pretty decent tincture with good taste, good efficacy and long shelf life. Can't complain about that

Definitely something worth experimenting with. Hope to do more of the same myself in coming months

[Foo]

thanks TheExplorer, a reishi duel extraction is what I am looking to do.

thanks Foo for the idea

Just checking! No offense intended.

Goodluck with the extraction.

[lindsay]

thanks everyone, I think I will go with the 40% vodka extraction.

it will double extraction so in the final product there should be 25% alcohol.

[lindsay]

I have started the alcohol extraction of 100 grams of dryed reishi.

ground down the reishi to almost a powder and put in a quart jar,

added 700ml of a 40% vodka.

already I have come to the conclusion that it is to far expensive to

make your own alcohol extraction.

so I looked into the legality of possibly distilling my own alcohol, but

it is not legal to use a still in Australia to produce alcohol for

consumption without a license, it is not legal to separate water and

alcohol in a still.